HeiterBlick

HeiterBlick GmbH is a German manufacturer of trams and light rail vehicles based in Leipzig. The company produces vehicles with bogie technology and also provides conversion services and component manufacturing, such as running gear, for rail vehicles. It is a medium-sized specialist that emphasizes innovative design combining function with elegance, and a good price-performance ratio. Its product range includes new vehicles as well as modernization of older and historic trams. The company's origins trace back to February 2003, when Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH (LVB) decided to build two prototypes of a low-cost tram internally. These prototypes, named Leoliner, were tested by the special vehicles division of the former Leipziger Fahrzeugservice-Betriebe GmbH (LFB). Following successful testing, LVB ordered 30 more trams, and Halberstädter Verkehrs-GmbH (HVG) ordered five adapted vehicles. To build these, LEOLINER Fahrzeug-Bau Leipzig GmbH (FBL) was founded on 6 July 2004 as a wholly owned subsidiary of LVB. Siemens, which held 50% of LFB, declined to participate in FBL. On 1 January 2006, 51% of FBL shares were sold to KIROW Leipzig KE Kranbau Eberswalde AG (now Techne Kirow GmbH). On 23 December 2010, the privatization was completed when Kirow took over all shares. On 1 October 2007, FBL was renamed HeiterBlick GmbH to reposition itself in the market, with the name referencing the Leipzig district of Heiterblick, where the tram main workshop of Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe was opened in summer 1926. HeiterBlick's production facilities are located on the KIROW site in Leipzig's Neulindenau district, near the Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei. The acceptance of trams and some final assembly steps for Leoliner vehicles took place at the former LVB tram depot in Leutzsch. The company's first model was the Leoliner, a low-floor articulated tram of which 55 were built (50 for LVB and five for HVG). The CityRider, a further development of the Leoliner, remained in technical planning and was postponed after the Bielefeld order. The Vamos platform is the second fully own platform, available in Vamos 70 (70% low-floor) and Vamos 95 (95% low-floor) configurations. The Vamos 70 was first ordered in 2021 by operators in Görlitz, Leipzig, and Zwickau. The Vamos 95 has not yet passed tender procedures. Produced so far are the Vamos Bielefeld and the Vamos Dortmund (in production), both high-floor vehicles. HeiterBlick also manufactured bogies for the Pöstlingbergbahn in Linz, Austria, and 36 powered bogies for a modernization project in Sofia, Bulgaria, as a subcontractor for Inekon Trams. In April 2025, the company filed for insolvency proceedings in self-administration, which the Leipzig Local Court granted. HeiterBlick cited the effects of COVID measures and the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2022 on the fulfillment of previously concluded contracts as reasons for its lack of liquidity. It announced that orders would continue to be processed unchanged during the proceedings. In early July 2025, the Leipzig Local Court opened regular insolvency proceedings. As a consequence, in the fourth quarter of 2025, two customers (Städtische Verkehrsbetriebe Zwickau and Görlitzer Verkehrsbetriebe) withdrew from contracts for the delivery of trams. In early December 2025, it became known that Polish rail vehicle manufacturer Pesa was interested in investing. Both companies confirmed the conclusion of an investor agreement in January 2026. On 1 July 2026, they announced the completion of the transaction, i.e., the takeover of all HeiterBlick shares by Pesa. In August 2026, the insolvency proceedings were concluded and the management was changed. Today, HeiterBlick continues to operate as a subsidiary of Pesa, focusing on the production of trams and light rail vehicles, modernization services, and component manufacturing.

HeiterBlick GmbH traces its origins to February 2003, when Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe GmbH (LVB) decided to build two prototypes of a cost-effective tram in-house. These prototypes, named Leoliner, were tested by the special vehicles division of the former Leipziger Fahrzeugservice-Betriebe GmbH (LFB), today IFTEC GmbH & Co. KG. Following successful testing, LVB ordered 30 additional trams, and Halberstädter Verkehrs-GmbH (HVG) ordered five adapted vehicles. To build these, LEOLINER Fahrzeug-Bau Leipzig GmbH (FBL) was founded on 6 July 2004 as a 100% subsidiary of LVB. Siemens, which held 50% of LFB, declined to participate in FBL, partly due to its own problems with the Combino series and because LVB rejected the production relocation to Prague-Zličín to Siemens kolejová vozidla s.r.o. (formerly ČKD Tatra). On 1 January 2006, 51% of FBL shares were sold to the then KIROW Leipzig KE Kranbau Eberswalde AG (today Techne Kirow GmbH). On 23 December 2010, the privatization was completed when Kirow took over all shares of the company. On 1 October 2007, FBL was renamed HeiterBlick GmbH to reposition itself in the market. The name HeiterBlick refers to the company's origin: in summer 1926, the tram main workshop of Leipziger Verkehrsbetriebe was opened in the Leipzig district of Heiterblick on the site of a former aircraft factory, at the time the largest workshop for repair and maintenance of tram vehicles in Europe. As early as the 1950s, trams were built in the Heiterblick main workshop. To this day, IFTEC GmbH & Co. KG, located on the Heiterblick site, carries out major inspections, general repairs, and accident repairs on trams. The production facilities of HeiterBlick GmbH are located on the KIROW site in Leipzig's Neulindenau district, not far from the Leipziger Baumwollspinnerei. The acceptance of trams and some intermediate steps of final equipment of Leoliner vehicles took place at the former LVB tram depot Leutzsch. HeiterBlick's first model was the Leoliner, a low-floor articulated tram, of which 55 were built (50 for LVB and five for HVG). The CityRider, a further development of the Leoliner, was in the technical planning phase. After the order for Bielefeld vehicles (see Vamos below), the project was initially postponed. In 2008/2009, the raw body of a vehicle was manufactured for the Montreux-Berner Oberland-Bahn. The Vamos represented the second fully own complete platform from HeiterBlick. With the Vamos 70 (70% low-floor share) and the Vamos 95 (95% low-floor share), two low-floor configurations of this platform are available. The Vamos 70 configuration was first ordered in 2021 by the operators in Görlitz (NGTG), Leipzig (NGT12+), and Zwickau (NGTZ). The Vamos 95, however, has never made it past the tender procedures. So far, the Vamos Bielefeld and the Vamos Dortmund (in production) have been produced; both are high-floor vehicles. In January 2009, moBiel GmbH (Stadtwerke Bielefeld group) ordered 16 vehicles of type GTZ8-B Vamos, which HeiterBlick manufactured jointly in a consortium with Vossloh Kiepe. The originally planned delivery from January 2011 was delayed. For the Pöstlingbergbahn in Linz, Austria, a comprehensive modernization of three historic vehicles took place in 2009/2010 in a consortium with Vossloh-Kiepe Austria (VKA) and Raility AG Biel-Bienne (Switzerland), a 50% subsidiary of HeiterBlick GmbH. Here, HeiterBlick supplied the new bogies and took over the electrical assembly as well as large parts of the interior fitting. As a subcontractor of Inekon Trams a.s. (Czech Republic), HeiterBlick manufactured 36 powered bogies with a gauge of 1009 millimeters for a modernization order in Sofia, Bulgaria. In April 2025, the company filed for insolvency proceedings in self-administration, which the Leipzig Local Court granted. HeiterBlick cited the effects of COVID measures and the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2022 on the fulfillment of partly previously concluded contracts as reasons for the lack of liquidity. It was announced that orders would continue to be processed unchanged during the proceedings. In early July 2025, the Leipzig Local Court opened regular insolvency proceedings. As a consequence of the insolvency, in the fourth quarter of 2025, two customers (Städtische Verkehrsbetriebe Zwickau and Görlitzer Verkehrsbetriebe) withdrew from contracts for the delivery of tram vehicles. In early December 2025, it became known that the Polish rail vehicle manufacturer Pesa was interested in investing. Both companies confirmed the conclusion of an investor agreement in January 2026. On 1 July 2026, they announced the completion of the transaction, i.e., the takeover of all HeiterBlick shares by Pesa. In August 2026, the insolvency proceedings were concluded and at the same time the management was changed.

• LVB decides to build two Leoliner prototypes in-house.

• LEOLINER Fahrzeug-Bau Leipzig GmbH (FBL) founded as a wholly owned subsidiary of LVB.

• 51% of FBL shares sold to KIROW Leipzig KE Kranbau Eberswalde AG.

• FBL renamed HeiterBlick GmbH.

• HeiterBlick GmbH entered in the commercial register.

• moBiel orders 16 GTZ8-B Vamos vehicles.

• Modernization of three historic trams for Pöstlingbergbahn, Linz.

• Privatization completed; Kirow takes over all shares.

• Vamos 70 first ordered by Görlitz, Leipzig, and Zwickau operators.

• Filed for insolvency in self-administration.

• Regular insolvency proceedings opened.

• Zwickau and Görlitz operators withdraw tram contracts.

• Investor agreement with Pesa confirmed.

• Pesa completes takeover of all HeiterBlick shares.

• Insolvency proceedings concluded; management changed.

Medium-sized specialist for innovative, cost-effective trams and light rail vehicles, offering both new builds and modernization.

• Leoliner

  Low-floor articulated tram, first model of HeiterBlick, 55 units built (50 for LVB, 5 for HVG).

• CityRider

  Further development of Leoliner, remained in technical planning phase, postponed after Bielefeld order.

• Vamos 70

  Low-floor platform with 70% low-floor share, first ordered in 2021 by Görlitz, Leipzig, and Zwickau.

• Vamos 95

  Low-floor platform with 95% low-floor share, has not yet passed tender procedures.

• Vamos Bielefeld

  High-floor vehicle type GTZ8-B, 16 ordered by moBiel in 2009, produced in consortium with Vossloh Kiepe.

• Vamos Dortmund

  High-floor vehicle for DSW21, in production, first of 24 new vehicles passed climate test in July 2022.

• GT-F for Würzburg

  Low-floor tram, first of 18 vehicles delivered to Würzburg.

• B-Wagen for Dortmund

  New series for DSW21, premiered on 15 December 2022, emphasizing energy consumption, safety, and accessibility.

1. 1HeiterBlick GmbH - Straßenbahnbauunternehmen aus Leipzigheiterblick.de
2. 2HeiterBlick - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3HeiterBlick - Wikipediade.wikipedia.org